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LLC SchoolhousePlain LLC lessons, one state at a time.

Module 2 · Arkansas

Registered Agent in Arkansas (2026): a 6-Step Lesson and the 3 Best Agents

Arkansas Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and AR Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) earned the top three grades for finding a registered agent in Arkansas in 2026, in that order. The lesson takes 6 steps to cover Arkansas's registered agent rules, who is allowed to serve and how to get the agent on file.

Taught by the LLC Schoolhouse editors

This lesson at a glance

MandatoryYesLook it up at arkleg.state.ar.us; last checked October 2026
Price of our picks$99 to $149 a yearAs published
Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report$150 a yearLook it up at sos.arkansas.gov; last checked October 2026
Number of steps6One at a time

In this lesson

  • What Arkansas requires of a registered agent
  • The address and eligibility rules
  • How to put the agent on record
  • Our graded agent picks

If you would like help with the filing

Three-year cost and the number of steps a price takes off your list weigh the most; the grading page lists all five criteria.
Highest mark

1. Arkansas Registered Agent.co: best for Arkansas-only LLCs

Year one $99, renewal $99

Arkansas Registered Agent.co comes first, and here is why: $99 yearly, with scans of any served papers posted to your online account.

On three-year cost it beats Mainstay Filing, which is a big part of our grading.

What the price covers

  • An in-state office address
  • Scans of served papers

Marks in its favor

  • $99 a year, the same at renewal
  • Under Mainstay Filing on price

Where it loses points

  • Another state means another agent
  • Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report is not included
Upkeep included

2. Mainstay Filing: best for LLCs that may grow into other states

Year one $149, renewal $149

Next on the report card comes Mainstay Filing, graded second: $149 a year from one provider, even for states you add down the road.

On three-year cost it falls $150 behind Arkansas Registered Agent.co.

What the price covers

  • A street address for the office
  • A same-business-day scan of each served paper comes at no charge
  • Government mail scanned free, three pieces a year
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

Marks in its favor

  • Annual price $149, renewal price $149
  • Works in every state

Where it loses points

  • More expensive by $50 a year
  • Agent service and nothing else
Local choice

3. AR Registered Agent.org: best for a local alternative

Year one $99, renewal $99

AR Registered Agent.org lands in third place, and the reason is clear: $99 yearly, with scans of any served papers posted to your online account.

It costs exactly what Arkansas Registered Agent.co does.

What the price covers

  • An in-state office address
  • Scans of served papers

Marks in its favor

  • $99 a year, the same at renewal
  • Under Mainstay Filing on price

Where it loses points

  • Another state means another agent
  • Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report is not included

The grades and prices at a glance

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1Arkansas Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit Arkansas Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3AR Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit AR Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices come from each company's own site, read November 13, 2026. The state charges the same whichever agent you name.

How to set up your Arkansas agent

  1. Step
    1

    Understand the requirement

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

    Where this comes from: Look it up at arkleg.state.ar.us; last checked October 2026

  2. Step
    2

    Confirm who may be the agent

    A commercial registered agent listed with the Secretary of State, or a noncommercial agent: an individual or a business entity serving as agent in Arkansas. The company can also name a position inside it, such as its manager, whose holder then receives papers. Authority: Ark. Code Ann. § 4-20-105.

  3. Step
    3

    Learn the address requirement

    The address has to be an actual street address or rural route box number in Arkansas, plus an Arkansas mailing address if it differs. A P.O. box on its own is not accepted.

    Hiring a service keeps your own address off the public record.

  4. Step
    4

    Decide: serve yourself or hire someone

    Qualified owners may act as their own agent. Otherwise our graded picks charge $99 to $149 per year.

  5. Step
    5

    Get the agent on record

    New companies list the agent on the Certificate of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LL-01); changing agents later means filing with the Arkansas Secretary of State again.

    Where this comes from: Look it up at sos.arkansas.gov; last checked October 2026

  6. Step
    6

    Keep the agent information current

    Arkansas sees your agent's details through the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report ($150, every year, due May 1), and the state's letters about it go to your registered agent.

    Where this comes from: Look it up at sos.arkansas.gov; last checked October 2026

What you will pay

Cost itemPayeeTotal
Agent serviceService$99 to $149 a year
Each later yearService$99 to $149 a year
Annual LLC Franchise Tax ReportState$150 every year
State amounts come from Arkansas's official schedules (see the references); service prices come from each company's site. The three-year state total adds the filing, the reports from year two and any yearly minimum tax.

Behind the ranking

What settled it was tuition over three years, worth 32% of the grade.

Paying Arkansas Registered Agent.co for three years adds up to $297, which is $150 below the Mainstay Filing total.

Test yourself on Arkansas

Will my Arkansas LLC need a registered agent?

Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Can I be my own registered agent?

Possibly. Work through steps 2 and 3 to see whether you meet both rules.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Yes, at any time. Step 5 shows how to file the change with the Arkansas Secretary of State.

What does a registered agent cost in Arkansas?

From $99 to $149 a year on this page.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

Each year it is the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report at $150.

Which registered agent would you choose?

We would pick Arkansas Registered Agent.co, because a plan built for one state, $99 a year, renewing at $99. After that, Mainstay Filing and AR Registered Agent.org.

Up next

Class references

  1. Want to see Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax report: what and for yourself? Open sos.arkansas.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
  2. Want to see Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax: amount and filing for yourself? Open sos.arkansas.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
  3. Want to see Arkansas report due date for yourself? Open sos.arkansas.gov. We confirmed that page in August 2026 before writing the lesson.
  4. Want to see Ark for yourself? Open arkleg.state.ar.us. We confirmed that page in August 2026 before writing the lesson.
  5. Want to see Arkansas formation fee: Filing fee, official source for yourself? Open sos.arkansas.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
  6. Want to see Arkansas registered agent statute for yourself? Open arkleg.state.ar.us. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
  7. Arkansas Registered Agent.co pricing page: opened and read on November 13, 2026
  8. Mainstay Filing Arkansas service page: opened and read on November 13, 2026
  9. AR Registered Agent.org pricing page: opened and read on November 13, 2026